HAI & Z-Wave Kwikset locks -- need help please!

[jveal]

Hi guys,
 
I know this has been covered in the past and I've read all the previous posts, but I'm still having trouble getting the locks to work with my HAI Lumina Pro panel. Sorry for the long post, but any help would be greatly appreciated.
 
Here is what I did so far.
 
I installed 2 z-wave Kwikset locks, 3 GE in wall beeming recepticles in the house to get good z-wave coverage.
I purchased the Lutron Z-stick and VCR0P3+ serial controller from ASIhome. Installed the Vizia RF+ installer tool (v1.1.0.0).
 
I updated the VCR0P3+ with the latest firmware as per the HAI kb article. Discovered all the devices with the stick making sure to do the VCR0P last. Tried associating all the devices tVCR0P via the tool but that would always fail, so I conntected the VCR0P to my computer via serial cable and created the associations using NxS(E/S)133 commands in Putty. I am able to receive events from the locks when I am connected with the serial cable. I can also control the GE recepticles via ASCII commands in Putty.
 
I connected the VCR0P back to the Lumina on Serial Port 4, configured that port to Z-Wave, made sure it was set to RS232, all the correct baud, bits, parity, transmittion, etc.
 
I set up the GE Recipticles as units in Rm13, configured that set of 16 devices to Vizia-RF Zwave, added the Zwave Node to the Unit on the panel (2,3, & 4) 
 
I also setup the locks in the access section of PC-Access, set both locks to Zwave, added their node # (5 & 6) to the configuration in PC-Access, wrote the configuration to the controller.
 
Good news is I can control the GE recepticles, no problem. This seems to work fine. I also see the locks in my iPhone snaplink. However, I can't seem to get any status from the locks or control the locks from PC-Access or my iPhone.
 
Do I need to read messages from the VCR0P to get this to work? Or should the Lumina be able to control and receive statuses from these locks natively? I forgot to mention that I updated the firmware on the Lumina to 3.11c and updated PC-Access to the latest version as well.
 
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
 
Thanks,
 
Jerry
 

 

[picta]

I am not sure what you mean by "Tried associating all the devices tVCR0P via the tool". There is "Update controller" function if you click on VRC0P in the tool, and that should be done while VRC0p is not connected to HAI panel. One thing I did to help debugging z-wave connection is installing a serial port splitter so that both HAI panel and my PC can connect to Leviton controller. Then you can see the serial traffic on your PC.
 
See if this info may be of any help:
 
http://kb.homeauto.com/default.asp?id=1212&Lang=1&SID=

 

[jveal]

Sorry -- not really that familiar with Z-Wave so my terminology might be off. I followed the KB you listed. What I meant to say was I "enrolled all of my devices to the controller", I also updated the VRC0P controller. What I couldn't do in the Installer tool (my version was 1.1.0.0 not 1.0.9.0) was associate each device to the VCR0P. I had to do that through ASCII commands when I connected my PC to the controller.
 
I didn't realize they had serial splitters -- I'll look into finding one of those. But assuming the data is coming from the locks, is there something on the Lumina I should be looking at?
 
Also, I don't know if it matters or not but my version of PC-Access is the single user version rather than the Dealer version. Could that matter to the configuriation? For instance, in my version I can't associate the Z-Wave Node Id with a Unit in order to get the Lumina to control Z-wave devices. I had to do that directly from the lumina console. Not sure if the dealer version allows you to do that or not or if the dealer version does something different with the access control configurations.
 
Another thought about the splitter -- do you think I can use an RJ11 splitter? Basically connect an RJ11 to the VCR0P, split the end of the standard RJ11 cable, then connect the black cable to one portof the splitter and to the Lumina, then connect the RJ11 end of the Serial cable to the other port of the RJ11 splitter and the DB9 portion to my laptop? 

 

[picta]

Another thought about the splitter -- do you think I can use an RJ11 splitter? Basically connect an RJ11 to the VCR0P, split the end of the standard RJ11 cable, then connect the black cable to one portof the splitter and to the Lumina, then connect the RJ11 end of the Serial cable to the other port of the RJ11 splitter and the DB9 portion to my laptop? 

 
It may work, but you may have a hard time sending data from both hosts. At least you can see the traffic that HAI sends/receives. Also, try unplugging/replugging the VRC0p from the outlet, I have to do this periodically when I see errors. The splitter I use can be found here:
 
http://www.bb-elec.com/Products/Serial-Connectivity/Serial-Data-Tools-Adapters/Port-Splitters.aspx

 

[picta]

Another thought: try sending a command to the lock from your laptop but keep vrc0p plugged in the same location, are you getting reply from the lock?

 

[jveal]

Thanks -- I tried the last suggestion. I can talk to and control the locks using my laptop from the same location as where I have it plugged in next to my Lumina. My next step will be to plug my laptop into the Lumina to see what its sending. I only had a 4conductor RJ11 splitter on hand so didn't get to connect the computer and the lumina to the VCR0P at the same time.
 
Maybe this next part needs to go to a z-wave forum, but after more testing last night with both locks, only 1 seems to send asynchronous events. Both respond to requests, but only the one in position 5 sends statuses when the lock opens and closes. The association commands seem to respond propertly with the >X000 but no asynch messages. I tried de-associating, reassociating, but it got too late to do much more.
 
I'll keep troubleshooting -- but this z-wave stuff is not all its cracked up to be.

 

[picta]

Your second (non-reporting) lock may be too far from the neighbor node, you may need to add another beaming node or try to move around the existing ones. I have a dimmer within 6 ft line of site from the lock and sometimes still miss messages. The lock is in the garage and seems to get interference from a parked car. Any metal object can interfere, pipes in the wall, structural beams etc.
 
On the Lumina did you make sure that the locks z-wave nodes are not being defined as units?

 

[jveal]

Ok -- today I connected the serial port configured as Vizia-RF Zwave to my computer. As I changed state of the z-wave recepticles, I saw the Lumina send the appropriate commands to what it thought was the VCR0P. When I tried sending lock commands from PC-Access or my iPhone Snaplink, there was no activity on the serial port.
 
I moved serial ports from port 4 to port 1 on the Lumina, but still the same thing. No commands come from the Lumina for locks, the commands are coming for the recepticles, but not the locks. I definately do not have the locks configured as units. Now I am at a loss. Is there something in the access control settings that tell the Lumina which port to use? Do I need to configure an access control serial port and see if the messages are flowing out of there?
 
I also can't help but wonder if my version of PC-Access isn't setting something that the dealer version sets on the Lumina. At this point I'm pretty stumped.
 
Thanks for all the suggestions so far... I really appreciate it.

 

[picta]

Since the problem seems to be in the panel configuration, I would call HAI tech support or e-mail to [email protected]

 

[jveal]

Yup -- I am already down that path. Their first response is I need the Dealer version of PC-Access to set the Zwave Node Id for the locks. I'm still trying to get them to validate that because the User version of PC-Access that I own has the UI to enter the node Id for the locks. It seems like a bug to me if the data is not being set properly in the controller.
 
I've already forked over $700 for all this z-wave stuff (that I'm not really crazy about) and I have to think a little about throwing another $150 of good money after bad. Seems like an expensive set of locks to me .
 
I'll post again when I get this working. Thanks again for the help.
 
Jerry

 

[JonW]

Is there something in the access control settings that tell the Lumina which port to use? Do I need to configure an access control serial port and see if the messages are flowing out of there?
 
I also can't help but wonder if my version of PC-Access isn't setting something that the dealer version sets on the Lumina. At this point I'm pretty stumped.

I think this is your problem.  You need the dealer version of PC access to configure the serial ports.  You need to specifically tell the Lumina panel which port to use for Z-wave communications.  If you just added the VRC0P, you likely have no port configured for Z-wave.

 

[jveal]

Yup. I had thought of that. I've been setting the serial port through the console. I still think it may be the PC-Access version for the lock configuration, but the serial port is working for units. Tech support is on East coast hours so I'll give them another day or so to respond.

I sent them screen shots of my PC-Access config which lets me set the Zwave node id on locks. I still say its a bug. I've had my Lumina for 3 years and this is the first time I've run into an issue with not being able to configure something. Granted, my system isn't that complicated, but it makes no sense to make this specific configuration only available on the dealer version.

 

[jveal]

A quick update. HAI support is AWESOME! They found a bug in my version of PC-Access and gave me a license for the dealer version.I will install and test tonight.

 

[jveal]

Looks like the problem is SOLVED. Thank you HAI Support and everyone else. Dealer PCA seems to have done the trick.
 
Thanks everyone.

 

[HAI_fjh]

By the way I found and fixed the bug in the Lumina only version of PC Access 3. This bug did not affect the normal User or Dealer versions of PC Access 3. I will be releasing the update shortly.